Cool heads will be needed and Pellegrini will be on hand to give his players some words of wisdom on how best to keep calm - a trait that Silva thinks has been invaluable during the Chilean's first season in charge.

"His calmness has been obvious," Silva told the club's official website. "He's added that to the whole club. And it really helps us at difficult moments.

"It's nice to have that calm attitude around you when things get tough."

On Pellegrini's overall impact since he succeeded Roberto Mancini, Silva added: "He's made it a happy place.

"He's brought a joy and happiness - also to our style of play. We are attack-minded and we score lots of goals.

"He's made us competitive in every competition. We've gone further in them this season. He's given us that extra push and taken us one step further.

"Having Manuel here has helped me personally, too. It's been really good for me. My style of play is more suited to an attacking style.

"He's helped me develop as a player. You always want to improve as an individual. It's been a good year for me."